‘Toxic’ explores identity, stigma and the resilience of the queer spirit at Lowry

Presented by Dibby Theatre and commissioned in partnership with HOME, the bold and breathtakingly beautiful semi-autobiographical play Toxic returns to Manchester this April, combining storytelling, movement, stunning design and a pulsating soundtrack to unpack the stigma, shame and shared trauma surrounding queerness at Lowry.

Written and performed by Nathaniel J Hall (First Time, It’s A Sin) alongside Josh-Susan Enright, the explosive yet achingly compassionate production begins in Manchester of 2017, where a fateful rendezvous on a hook–up app sets two complicated thirty-somethings on a careening rollercoaster of messy love and tangled emotions. One is HIV+ and beset by shame, both are queer and ‘one microaggression away from a full-on meltdown’.

As children of Thatcher’s Britain, defined by Section 28 and the widespread persecutory response to the AIDS epidemic, the pair form a trauma bond so strong that they feel like they can overcome it all – until survival means knowing when to leave.

Beneath the vibrant and carefree patina of pride, Toxic reveals the depths of lasting trauma and the ever-present impact of generational HIV stigma, racism, homophobia and problematic gender norms, while celebrating the significance of survival and the defiance of the queer spirit in Manchester and beyond.

Book tickets below.